Chapter Twenty-Eight
Rest Now

Saturday May 21st

That morning Class D had class with Usami, discussing the golden ratio and the silver ratio. As lunch slowly arrived, Chiyo felt a buzzing from her phone. Carefully hiding it under the shadow of her desk, Chiyo found that Dr. Maruki had sent her a message.

Maruki: I think I'm really making progress with my research.
Maruki: All thanks to you, of course.
Maruki: So do you think you could drop by to give me some more insight today?
Chiyo: Sure, I'm on my way.
Maruki: Thank you. I really do appreciate the help.
Maruki: How about we talk outside today?

They sat outside in the courtyard, at one of the benches by the vending machines. Chiyo sat her lunch out in the space between them. And Maruki allowed Chiyo to eat a bit before he finally spoke up. "Well, Kusakabe-san, I just found out how scary cats can be, despite their cuteness," Maruki said through a heavy sigh.

Her brow pinched together. Maruki could not have opened with a more random statement if he tried. "Where's this coming from?" she asked.

"Oh, it happened on my way to school this morning. I spotted a kitten that had gotten itself stuck up in a tree."

"And it scratched?"

"More or less, yes. I had no idea a cat's claws were so sharp…"

It occurred to Chiyo that Morgana may have been a breeze to care for compared to real house cats. Not that he didn't have his moments, Chiyo felt him doing that pawing thing cats did before laying down on her blanket. What would happen if Chiyo got a laser pointer…?

"Well, they are descended from wild cats," Chiyo pointed out.

"Yeah, I guess that makes sense. Claws and teeth are often a wild animal's best line of defense. And the little guy must have been scared. Well, in the end, I was able to rescue the kitten, so it was all still worthwhile. All I really have to do is make sure to put antibiotics on the scratches, anyway." He paused for a moment to take a swig from his juice box. "Well, let's move on and talk about a different kind of pain.

"We discussed this for a bit last time we talked, actually: the pain felt within one's heart. There are all sorts of ways to identify and diagnose physical injuries and illnesses. But when it comes to pains of the heart, we're working in unknown territory. There's so much we haven't learned yet. Treating trauma sure is difficult when it's invisible..."

And just like that, Chiyo's partially eaten lunch was left forgotten. Did what Chiyo went through that night counted as trauma? She always thought of trauma as the result of war, of fire, of a near-death experience. She was just arrested and falsely accused. She didn't have a brush with death, she didn't lose a limb, she came out of it physically okay.

"If only we could somehow directly reduce emotional pain in a healthy way like putting antibiotics on a scratch," Maruki said, almost thinking out loud.

"That'd be great," Chiyo muttered. Though it seemed a little overly simplistic to her. Injuries could be cared for, but some of them had long-lasting after-effects. Ryuji still had a minor limp even though his leg healed. One wrong injury to the ankle or knee had the potential to last even when it was technically healed.

Wasn't it the same basic idea? Wasn't the pain of the psyche like physical pains? Weren't some physical pains so ingrained in the joint or muscle even after it healed?

"Right?" Maruki asked enthusiastically. "Something like that would be wonderful. Unfortunately, as it may be, we all know there's no topical medicine that can properly heal a heartache. Not only that – psychological issues are even more complex."

Wasn't trauma a sort of chemical imbalance? Chemical reaction?

"Here, allow me to demonstrate," Maruki said. Without warning, he stood up and grasped his chest dramatically. "Oh, Kusakabe-san, woe is me! My heart is in such pain! It's like I'm being pierced through the chest! I have such a torturous burning deep inside me!"

By now students and staff passing by had stopped to stare. Chiyo crossed one leg over the other and leaned forward with a hand cupped around her cheek. Her eyes found a spot on the floor and her gaze stayed there as her face flushed.

It took a few moments for Maruki to realize there were eyes on him. A flush crossed over his cheeks. "Sorry, that was a poor attempt at acting," Maruki murmured, slowly sitting back down. "But, uhhh, basically what I'm getting at is, our own emotional pain is the only kind we can fully comprehend. That seems obvious, right? But it's absolutely vital to understand.

"A person's 'heart' - their pain – cannot be seen. Even if they spend their whole lives expressing it to others… there is no way for them to truly grasp it. It's not like we can directly look at their hearts and remove the root causes of their pain… But for me to do any good in that area, I need to conduct further research into the heart… More specifically, I need to learn how the heart reacts to the world around it. That's the first stepping stone to a breakthrough in the field."

Chiyo suddenly wondered if Maruki had always set out to be a counselor. This sort of thing he was talking about, didn't they go over it in college? Weren't there books and material they went through about trauma and how people reacted to it? Or was Maruki's point that people reacted to trauma differently and what strategy worked for one person didn't necessarily work for the other?

"Once that's been figured out," Maruki said, reaching for his juice box, "we'll not only comprehend psychological pains that were once unknowable, but we'll even be able to perform more effective treatment for those people with wounded hearts."

So it was about finding a one-size-fits-all treatment. "It's a nifty idea in theory," Chiyo said, leaning back in her seat. "But people are far more complicated than that."

"Yeah, that's true," Maruki said. He crossed his arms over his chest in a way that it was still easy for him to drink out of his juice box. He was like an irritated kitten at that moment, too cute to take seriously. "If we can get rid of people's pain, that'd be for the best, right? I'm no fan of pain, myself. On the other hand, people have laughed off my idea as just a silly, pointless dream… and I can't say I blame them. But still, you take the time to listen to what I have to say, and you actually try to understand. Thanks to you, I can tell I'm actually getting somewhere with my theories."

"Really?" asked Chiyo. "I've hardly contributed much to the conversation this time."

"How can I phrase it..." Maruki thought for a moment. "I guess I could say you're making this hazy, hard-to-grasp idea finally appear before me? You know, you could very well become a counselor yourself someday."

"Maybe," Chiyo said, awkwardly rubbing the back of her neck. That all depended on what happened when her probation was up. She couldn't go back to Ryou, and did she trust Sojiro to help her when the year was up? "I doubt anyone would want to be helped by someone with a history of compensated dating. And violence."

Maruki opened his mouth briefly, trying to find something to argue with. He closed his mouth momentarily but then opened it again… only to come out with nothing. "I suppose you have a point," Maruki conceded. He pulled down the sleeve of his white coat, revealing a watch underneath. "Why don't we put a pin in that for today, shall we? I hope you'll lend an ear again when you've got the time to spare. Now, how're you been with the card game?"

The remaining time they had for lunch was spent with Maruki teaching Chiyo another single-player card game. They had enough time for Maruki to write down the instructions and clean up before they headed inside.

The rest of class went by with little fanfare. In front of her, Ann stretched her arms over her head. When she lowered her arms, she turned in her seat to look at Chiyo. "You've been doing better after the…"

Her eyes quickly glanced at Chiyo's arm, her sleeve hiding the puckered smiles from the bite mark. Maybe it was because she took the medicine in the Palace, but Chiyo was surprised to find how quick her wound was healing. Still bleeding when Ann first dressed it, but when she checked this morning the wound had already scabbed over. She wanted to know how it was for Ryuji, he had taken Takemi's medicine too. Did being in the Palace after taking the medicine accelerate the healing process? Was it only for flesh wounds? Chiyo was probably going to have to keep up her end of her bargain with Takemi to stay on her good side.

"Yeah," Chiyo said, habitually rubbing her forearm. "I'm actually feeling great."

Ann's lips pursed. "Well, I was wondering if you wanted to hang out for a bit," Ann said, gathering her bag in her hand. "As part of my training."

"Sure," said Chiyo. "I'm free."

"Great!"

Ann led them to the train station where they transferred in Shibuya to Inokashira Park. It wasn't the Shimokamo Tropical Botanical Gardens, but Chiyo did get a sense of serenity. Ann lead them to a spot where they had a perfect view of the pond. With a great big grin on her face, Ann stretched her arms out at her sides. "Man, big open places like this are great! I think my training's going to go super good today!" Lowering her arms, she took a seat at the wooden parapet, gesturing for Chiyo to follow suit. She wasn't sure if she was comfortable sitting here. One wrong move and she'd tumble straight back into the pond. "So, remember how I said before that I want to strengthen my heart? Well, I came up with a way to do it!"

"What'd you have in mind?" asked Chiyo.

"I think having a strong heart means you don't let anything get under your skin. So basically, I want you to say stuff to me, and I'll try not to get fazed by it!"

"What am I supposed to say?"

"We've already started! I won't let that hesitation shake me!"

Somehow this felt like it wasn't going to have the effect Ann was going to. It was one thing to hear something from a friend, to hear something she was expecting, another entirely to hear something unexpectedly from a stranger. "C'mon," Ann said, rising back onto her feet, "hit me with your best shot!"

"You're… stupid…" Chiyo said dumbly.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah! And?"

"Your response was obnoxious."

"Uh-huh, uh-huh. What else?"

"And I don't think what you're going for is quite the same as someone just randomly saying it."

"Hey!" Ann pouted. After a few heartbeats, her brow rose as she gripped her chin. "Wait, isn't that how this game is supposed to go?"

"Uh…"

Keeping her stride, Ann shrugged "Oh well. On to round two!" She crouched down, covering her ears with her hands. "Bring it on!"

"I stand by what I said," Chiyo said plainly.

Ann sighed, her head tilted back before she stood back up. "Yeah. I kinda feel like I'm not gaining anything when I know something's coming."

Chiyo inclined her head slightly. She heard a muffled jingle; Ann's hand went into the pocket of her jacket. She pulled out her phone and prodded at the screen. "Sorry. I just got an email from my agency. The next shoot is… really far." Her brow arched as she brought the device in her hand closer to her. "Wait, what's this?"

"Hm?" Chiyo asked, standing up.

"It's a notice saying to pay extra attention to the time and place they tell you," Ann explained, putting her phone back into her pocket. "Apparently, some of the other models haven't been showing up at all lately. Then when asked why they didn't come, they all said they heard there was a change in schedule. It sounds like shoots have been really hectic with all the scrambling they've had to do for substitutes."

It sounded to Chiyo like someone was deliberately passing along bad information through word of mouth. A simple, 'Oh, I heard from So-and-So that this is what's happening.' It could have been anyone from one of the other models in the agency or someone looking to sabotage the agency itself. "That's odd," Chiyo said out loud. "It's not some communication issue?"

"I'm not sure," confessed Ann. "They only told me that I just told you. It probably really confuses the staff to see a sub show up. Hopefully, it doesn't happen to me…"

Ann slid her hands into her jacket pockets and swayed on her feet. "Actually, my first modeling gig was as a sub," she said, reminiscing. "That was back when I was still in Finland. My parents didn't have enough models for their event."

Finland? Chiyo figured that Ann was bi-racial, but she didn't expect Finnish. And her parents? And an event?

Thankfully, Ann was able to read the confusion on Chiyo's face. "Oh, haven't I told you?" she thought out loud. "My parents are both fashion designers who put on some seriously extravagant shows. They jump from country to country, so I only really see them for half of the year. Maybe less these days."

Fashion designers? Chiyo couldn't say if she heard of their brand. The girls at her old school let her sit with them during lunch, but Chiyo couldn't really add to the conversation. Her life back then revolved around school, school work, and gymnastics. Whatever was 'in' generally went above Chiyo's head. For all they knew, those girls spoke of Ann's parents, or maybe even Ann herself and Chiyo had no idea back then.

Wasn't that surreal?

"Sounds ideal," Chiyo murmured. It certainly sounded preferable to parents who argued regularly for three years before they finally decided to get a divorce. Preferable to a dad who transparently wanted a son. Ideal over the mom who was living vicariously through her child because she and her current flame didn't take precautions.

"Yeah, I guess I can afford to be pretty relaxed these days. Plus it would probably be tough being a phantom thief with my parents around, don't you think?"

Chiyo never actually thought about it. A few rules aside, Sojiro was fairly lax about what she got up to after school. With the key, she could have been out all night without Sojiro realizing it. It certainly made things easier. Now Chiyo was curious about Ryuji. It was just him and his mom, so that might have made things easier, especially if she worked late.

"It was rough when I was little though," Ann confessed, playing with a strand of hair, her eyes glancing towards the pond. "It was just me and our live-in caretaker. I didn't really have any friends."

She understood that, just because Chiyo sat with the girls during lunch didn't mean they were necessarily friends. Friends were a distraction, Ryou told her. But, then again, the way Ryou spoke you'd have thought Chiyo would get pregnant just by holding hands with the opposite sex. Besides, wasn't Takio friend enough? Chiyo supposed he was… until he wasn't.

Ann's gaze traveled back to Chiyo, the girl was playing with the tendril of her hair scarf. "Wow, that got dark fast!" she laughed, trying to levitate the tension. Her lips pursed to the side in thought. "Honestly, when I'm modeling… it almost feels like I'm connecting with my parents somehow. It's a nice hobby to have… but I don't know if I want to make a living out of it. After all, that's how Kamoshida first spotted me… and that's how our class started those rumors…"

"Isn't the industry kind of…" Chiyo crossed her arms as she tried to string the right words together. "Unkind when a woman starts aging?"

"Yeah, there's that to consider too." After fiddling with her fingers, she placed both pointer finger under the respective eye and pulled down slightly. "I don't think I want to be one of those women constantly under the knife to stay young… Besides, the Phantom Thieves are more important right now. That's why I need to get stronger!"

She took on a strong stance, her fists pumped at her sides. Shame personal strength and enthusiasm weren't the same thing.

The girl's headed down the same path they went down. Chiyo imagined herself holding her bag in front of her in both hands. An innocent schoolgirl walking through the park after school. The thing that kept Chiyo from doing just that was Morgana. She had gotten to the point where Chiyo didn't trust carrying Morgana anywhere but her shoulder while he was in her bag.

It was a wonder that her bag could hold Morgana as long as it had.

"When I was little," Ann spoke up. "I used to watch this anime where the main villain was this female thief. She'd lose to the hero every time, but I always thought she was cool."

Chiyo glanced at Ann, she looked a little nostalgic for this show. Or maybe it was a nostalgia for simpler times when the world seemed simple and fair. When they thought everyone had a fair hand.

"She wasn't really a 'good' person per se," Ann continued using her free hand to talk with her. "But she was beautiful, strong, sincere, and even sexy. She always said whatever she wanted, did whatever she wanted… She knew what justice was for her. I… wanted to grow up to be just like her someday. I hope I'm getting closer now if only just a little bit."

As they exited the park, Ann took out her phone to check the time. "It feels a little weird to leave on a note like that. And I think we could both use a little girl time."

Chiyo felt her cheeks flushing, unable to meet Ann's gaze. For fucks sake what was wrong with her? Was it really so unbelievable that someone wanted to spend time with her? That this wasn't just about the Phantom Thieves? Wasn't this what normal teenagers did? Wasn't this what friends did?

Her gymnastics robbed Chiyo of having friends, of having mundane experiences. Why didn't Chiyo try to make up for lost time? "W-What did you have in mind?" Chiyo asked.

"Well, first there's this shop I go to regularly that has a new lip gloss I've been eyeing. Oh! You should get it too! Add a little color to your face. And I notice you don't have your ears pierced." As she said that, Ann reached out for Chiyo's face, pushing her hair aside to get a better look at her unblemished ear lobe.

"Quit squirming. I need you to look the part of the little whore."

Heart rate spiking, Chiyo took a quick step back, causing Ann to jump in place. "Can't wear jewelry during routines," Chiyo said, absently placing her hair back by her ear. "So my mom never bothered."

Ann's brow arched, there was a look in her eyes that carried something that Chiyo didn't recognize. "We'll… put a pin in that one," Ann said slowly. "You should still consider the lip gloss."

"I thought makeup wasn't allowed in school?" Chiyo said as they headed down the street.

"You can get away with a little so long as it's not too noticeable."

Maybe for most other girls in Shujin, but Chiyo…

The shop Ann brought her to was an accessory shop with various pieces of costume jewelry and bits of makeup and a few pieces of decorative items and mascots. As they arrived, Ann took Chiyo by the hand and guided her to their makeup section. The lip gloss Ann had her eye on was peach-scented and the substance inside the tube looked metallic orange.

"Yeah, I think this would work out pretty well for you," Ann said after pursing her lips.

Chiyo had worn a bit of makeup in the past, during her gymnastics meets. Always it was applied by Ryou, Chiyo had no idea how to do it for herself. And Ryou's reasons were not unlike Ann's, to make her stand out, to bring a bit of color to her face. "You don't think people will get ideas?" Chiyo asked, studying the tube in her hand. "You don't think boys will…?"

She left the question unasked, though the implication was obvious. What would the reactions be if Chiyo just walked into school with even a slight change in her appearance? She's already had her share of harassment, this wasn't a situation where she could simply ignore everyone.

Ryuji called her hardcore after they left Kamoshida's Palace the second time. But it seemed like Chiyo was only hardcore in a Palace or Mementos. He made that declaration far too soon. "I'm sure there will be whispers," Ann said. "There'd even be whispers if you chose to cut your hair short. But what you're waiting for might not even happen. I've had those thoughts too, but I'm exhausted just waiting for it to happen when it might not." She paused for a moment to purse her lips. "That sounded better in my head. But you get what I'm trying to say, right?"

"I… think so."

Chiyo was exhausted waiting for someone to put their hands on her. She was tired of waiting for something that might not come. But she was also tired of being thrown whenever it did happen. What was she supposed to do? The answer, unfortunately, was not something Chiyo could reach anytime soon. Maybe she never would, because for better or worse, life did not stop for anyone.

In the end, Chiyo caved and bought a couple of tubes of lip gloss and a double wrap,

leather-like bracelet with a milky pink bead.

After they cashed out, Ann showed Chiyo a sweets cafe where she bought a strawberry parfait. Ann ordered herself a chocolate parfait "I never really got to have sweets like this while growing up," Chiyo confessed after the waitress dropped off their dishes.

Ann grimaced slightly. "Really? Don't you need to eat a lot because of the calories burned, or something like that?"

Nodding, Chiyo took a moment to scoop up a spoonful of parfait before she answered. "My mom didn't want me to gain excess weight. So everything I ate had to be approved by her first. So that generally meant no sweets. Just enough for me to make up for what I burned without gaining too much."

"I guess I can sort of understand that," Ann said between spoonfuls of chocolate cream. "I saw a few more videos. That kind of thing looks beautiful… But I notice some of those moves look similar to something like ballet. And I know how physically demanding that is."

"It's just as demanding as ballet." She paused for a moment to take another scoop into her mouth. "I started when I was about four and didn't start competing until about thirteen. A lot of my formative years were spent making myself flexible and learning the basics. I think the Hibagon was seen around town more than I ever was."

"When you were four?" Ann asked in disbelief.

"Well, bones aren't really developed at that age, so it's easier to make a person flexible when they're young. It's also a part of the reason why retirement usually happens in their early twenties."

"Jeez…"

Chiyo and Ann parted ways shortly after the cafe. She was waiting for her train when Takemi sent her a text asking Chiyo if she had the time to stop by. Figuring it was best to stay in the good doctor's good graces, Chiyo headed straight to Takemi's clinic as soon as she arrived in Yongen.

In the front room, Takemi had taken her spot behind the front desk, the waiting room was empty. She gestured for Chiyo to head into the exam room, and she took her usual seat. When Takemi sat herself down in her rolling chair, she swerved it around to her medical cooler. She got out a cup of liquid and handed it to Chiyo. "Here you go," she said, plucking her notebook off her desk. "The effects should be instant this time."

Before Chiyo could second-guess herself or Takemi, she brought the cup to her lips and drained the contents in one gulp. As soon as the last of it was down her throat Chiyo felt a hot sensation blossom across her tongue as though she had eaten a plate of curry. Takemi leaned forward, staring Chiyo straight in the face. "Let's see. Eyes are focused." Without looking down she got a pen out of her coat pocket and eased it into the upper left corner. "Follow the tip of the pen. One, two, three, four… Nothing yet, huh?"

"Uh…" Chiyo cringed, her mouth opened as she took in awkward breaths. The heat in her mouth had intensified, it was stronger than simple curry now. Now Chiyo may as well have downed habanero hot sauce straight from the bottle. She cringed again, whimpering slightly. A tingling sensation had built up from the inside of her nostrils. In a futile attempt to ease her discomfort, she started to fan her hands in front of her face.

"How're you feeling?" Takemi asked, jotting down Chiyo's reactions.

"My mouth's on fire," Chiyo whined, trying to breathe through her teeth now. Tears were beginning to well up in her eyes. "And my nose… feels like I need to sneeze but it's not coming."

Satisfied, Takemi leaned back in her chair. "There it is," she said, gesturing to Chiyo with her pen. "The inhibitory effect is just as I hoped. Your weight was the primary reason it took a little longer to kick in than I expected. Yes, this is what I expected from a teenager."

She nodded sagely as she spoke. As Takemi made a few more notes, Chiyo finally felt the feeling in her mouth subside. "We're making great progress," Takemi said, peeking over her notebook at Chiyo. "Practice makes perfect, right? Hold tight. Once I compile all the data, we can move on…"

Oh, god, what else did Takemi have planned for her?

The phone started to ring, Takemi placed her notes down on the deck and plucked the phone off its receiver. "Hello, Takemi Medical Clinic of Internal Medicine. How can I help you?" she said in greeting. She leaned back in her seat, one leg crossed casually over the other. Chiyo could make out a voice on the other line, though she couldn't hear what they were saying. "An emergency, huh? But we're not a designated hospital. Besides, the head physician here is Tae Takemi."

Why did she say that as though it were a bad thing? Chiyo heard something on the other line, then Takemi pulled the phone back as though the person on the phone had shouted something in her ear. The doctor pouted, partially serious, partially playful. "Awfully rude, just hanging up on a lady like that," she said, hanging up the phone.

"What was that about?" Chiyo asked; the sensation in her nose was finally starting to subside.

"Oh, he basically just called the wrong number. An ambulance driver was looking for a transfer location. All the designated hospitals are full. But to think they'd accidentally call a general practitioner…" She paused for a moment, her red lips pursing in thought. "Must've been a new paramedic. He seemed to at least know my name though."

Chiyo's head tilted to the side questioningly.

"I've been blacklisted by the larger medical community."

"Because of the home mixtures?"

Slowly, Takemi shook her head. "They call me the Plague… due to a grave medical error I made."

"Shit…"

"This goes back to my old job," Takemi explained, pushing her seat back a couple of inches. "I used to work at a university hospital in the city. I was never actually convicted of anything, but I'm still considered a pariah in the medical industry."

She paused, allowing the information to sink in. Almost playfully, Takemi rested her chin in one hand, a ghost of a smile playing upon her lips as she eyed Chiyo. "Does that scare you?" she asked. "Participating in clinical trials run by a doctor like that?"

"Not really," Chiyo said bluntly. Not after she'd been ingesting Takemi's homemade medicines.

Takemi stared at Chiyo, her mouth hanging open slightly until she shook her head. "You seriously are one strange kid," she said through a sigh.

"Well, does it scare you to be doing clinical trials on a student with a criminal record?"

Again, Takemi stared at Chiyo with pursed lips. "Well, that explains why you like sticking your nose in other people's business," she said nonchalantly. "That's fine. Being ostracized has enabled me to focus on my own research and development. Regardless, I look forward to working with you. I'll be sure to add some additional 'medicine' for you, my little guinea pig."

The phone rang again. Without looking, Takemi reached for the receiver and grabbed the phone. "Hello, Dr. Takemi's Clinic of Internal Medicine… Huh? One order of teriyaki chicken?" Sighing, she hung up the phone. "You're all good for today. You can head home now."

Sunday, May 22nd

Sundays, Chiyo came to realize, may need to be days Chiyo planned ahead for. Sojiro never really outright said as much, but it was pretty clear that he didn't really want Chiyo coming and going during the busier parts of the day. The problem was that Chiyo didn't have much planned. Chiyo, for her part, had been waiting for Morgana's seal of approval to call a meeting to discuss the calling card. They may still have time, but Chiyo did not want to call it close when a lawsuit was hanging over her head.

Chiyo had just finished brushing out her hair when her phone began to buzz.

Ryuji: Hey, you doin' anything today?
Ryuji: I was thinkin' of going to the arcade. Maybe gettin' some ramen after.
Chiyo: Sure. Sounds fun.
Ryuji: Sweet! Meet up at Buchiko?
Chiyo: Okay, see you there.

With purpose, Chiyo finished working on her hair, pulling it back in her half-ponytail. She tried the lip gloss Ann wanted her to get; she wasn't completely unaccustomed to makeup, but it was usually reserved for her gymnastics meets. And usually applied for her by Ryou. Even just lip gloss made Chiyo's lips feel awkwardly heavy. But as she caught her reflection in the window on the train, she understood what Ann meant by bringing a little color to her face. And with her hair in its current color, it made her look a little less like a specter.

She left Leblanc before things had a chance to get too busy, dressed in her cozy grey dress, and thick cardigan. As cozy as this outfit was, Chiyo was eagerly waiting for the weather to warm up and to wear fewer layers.

On the train, Chiyo was left standing and clutching her bag with Morgana inside close to her. Shortly after she boarded, Chiyo received another text message from Mishima asking her if they could meet up later, late afternoon, early evening. She sent back her reply, saying she'd meet up with him.

She made it to Buchiko first, spotting the same politician in the same spot making another speech. Chiyo was only half listening when she fiddled around on her phone, searching through any free game apps that might have been worth downloading. Morgana, on the other hand, poked his head out of Chiyo's bag, listening to the politician intently.

"Hey, Yoyo!" Chiyo looked up to find Ryuji in his purple jacket approaching her. "Sorry to keep you waitin'."

"It wasn't long," Chiyo assured him, slipping her phone into her pocket.

Ryuji's gaze traveled to the upper corner as though he wanted to say something but whatever it was remained inside. He gestured with his head for her to follow him; Morgana ducked his head back inside the bag. "So, the cat say when we can finish the job yet?" Ryuji asked as they walked.

"Not a cat!" came Morgana's voice, muffled but still distinguishable.

"I think at this point he's just making sure we're in top shape," said Chiyo. "Unless you're still healing?"

"Crazy thing, when I checked on it yesterday mornin', and it's already scabbed over! It's just a red blemish now!"

"Same thing happened to me," Chiyo said. "Morgana thinks the custom medicines I've been getting might be accelerating the time it takes if we take them in the Palace."

"That shit's real crazy. How'd this Palace stuff even start in the first place."

"Maybe we'll find out the more Palaces we experience. Or maybe even when Morgana gets his memory back."

"I guess…"

Ryuji's eyes wandered again and once more Chiyo got the inkling there was something else he wanted to say, but held his tongue for one reason or another.

The arcade was busy without being overcrowded. The occupants were mostly middle and high school students with the occasional college student here and there. The room was bathed in a blue light and the glow of various cabinets. "So…" Ryuji's voice trailed off awkwardly. "Anywhere you wanna start in particular?"

"I've never been to one of these," Chiyo said, shuffling side to side. Ryuji's lips pursed to the side slightly before his brow rose. "Ooh, gotta start with Taiko no Tatsujin, then!"

He led her to a game cabinet with two plastic taiko drums and a couple of bachi sticks each. Chiyo placed Morgana down at her feet, she caught a glimpse of his blue eyes peeking within the darkness. "'Aight, red notes you hit the face," Ryuji explained, hitting one of the sticks against the rim of his drum, "blue notes mean you hit the rim."

The song Ryuji had chosen was fast-paced, probably an anime opening if Chiyo had to guess. She fumbled her way through the song, trying to find a play method she was comfortable with. Ryuji ended up winning between the two of them, by a lot. He was generous enough to play another round when Chiyo had a better grasp on the game. She still lost the second round, but her score was better.

He introduced Chiyo to Cho Chabudai Gaeshi where the objective was to flip a table. The game brought her to a scenario where she was a fed-up dad and ended up launching the table towards the mom when she flipped it. There was something cathartic about it when the animation kicked in; Chiyo took a few steps back, her hands covering her mouth to keep herself from laughing too hard. Made worse by Ryuji's well-timed whoop and double air punch.

The shooting game came easier to Chiyo than Taiko no Tatsujin after using an airsoft gun in Palaces and Mementos. Of course, that also applied to Ryuji, so through the game, they were more neck and neck than they were in the last two-player game. Chiyo ended up with the higher score this time around.

Despite being the one who drove Morgana around in Mementos, Chiyo proved to be quite shitty at racing games. She over-corrected more than once and with the games controls usually meant she crashed into the rail or off the road. It wasn't helped by Ryuji's backseat driving as she tried to make her way through the course.

It was the dance game Chiyo had the most fun with. As much a rhythm game as Taiko no Tatsujin, but so was dancing when all was said and done. She couldn't help but move with the music, forgetting that it was a game and there was a score to keep track of. It was not the routines she had grown accustomed to, but it felt like putting on her favorite shirt after putting it away for the change of season. Familiar, comforting, her… and temporary.

She wasn't in front of a judges panel, or a crowd of onlookers, she wasn't even going all out.

She was just following the icon on a computer screen and getting a little carried away. Her gymnastics life was over, she was weeks out of practice and no doubt gained unnecessary weight from her convenience store diet.

It was that fact that was at the back of her head when they left the arcade after a few more rhythm and shooting games. Ryuji led Chiyo to a ramen restaurant in Ogikubo. It was a small area with a bar wrapped around the kitchen, so Ryuji and Chiyo ended up sitting shoulder to shoulder. It was so warm inside, Chiyo regretted not taking off her cardigan when she had the chance.

When their order was placed in front of them Ryuji immediately used his chopsticks to gather a helping of noodles and slurped them down. "I love the feelin' of noodles slidin' down my throat!" he said euphorically. "Sweat drippin' over my face!"

"There are way too many ways to take that," Chiyo murmured.

After neither of them said very much, not with mouthfuls of noodles and broth at the very least. As warm as it was in the restaurant, something was comforting about eating nice hot ramen. It was hearty too, with rings of green onions, bits of chicken, shiitake mushrooms, and well-placed egg. After Ryuji had gone through half his bowl, he suddenly clapped Chiyo on the back between her shoulders. "This shit's the best, man! Light soup like this really gets your body goin' again after a good run y'know."

"Kinda…" Granted this bowl was leagues better than the instant ramen she'd have in the attic.

"We used to come out here after practice and…" Chiyo wasn't sure if Ryuji had fully realized he put his chopsticks down as he started to reminisce. A few heartbeats passed before Ryuji shook his head and took his chopsticks back into his hand. "I guess that's all in the past…"

She stared at Ryuji, watching him gather another bundle of noodles until they were pulled down his throat. "I've seen Nakaoka around a few times," he confessed. "But for some reason, it doesn't look like he's gettin' along with the others."

"Are you worried about him?" asked Chiyo.

"Yeah… Kinda," Ryuji confessed noncommittally. He shrugged, a lazy gesture, just as non-committal as his verbal response. "I've been thinkin' about what he said…. How the whole track team was puttin' up with Kamoshida's shit… And how I fucked it all up for 'em. I think he was right."

But hadn't the Shadow Kamoshida all but confessed that he was looking for an excuse to disband the track team? That was certainly the impression Chiyo had after a while. Ryuji was just the one with the ill fortune to give Kamoshida a reason to act.

"They don't even got a club room anymore," Ryuji went on, "so they've been storin' all their stuff behind the gym. They ain't use any school gear either, so they just run laps around the block for practice. There ain't really a place for outcasts like that. I should know that better than anyone… It's good they're keepin' their heads low now though, I don't want 'em endin' up like me."

Chiyo stared into her bowl, the broth was shallow, most of the noodles and egg gone with bits of mushroom and green onion floating around in it.

She had no idea what had become of the world of gymnastics since Matsubara let her go. It was one of those things she forced herself not to think about. She didn't know if her absence meant anything to her fellow competitors if her rivals celebrated her absence and laughed at her arrest. Who had taken her place as the one praised for her bold routines, who would go to the elite competitions in her place?

It hurt to think about. The years Chiyo spent working herself as hard as she could ultimately amount to nothing. Which was to say nothing about the yen wasted for her lessons, her equipment, leotards, transportation.

There must have been something in her eyes that Ryuji noticed. "Oh yeah… We're both outcasts here, huh?" he murmured thoughtfully. His brow crinkled together, the chopsticks in his hand trembling. "It's gotta be tough just walkin' around school for you with those rumors n' shit… We really don't belong anywhere…"

Exhaling through his nose, Ryuji tilted his head back slightly. "But y'know, maybe that ain't so bad after all. I guess now that I'm thinkin' about it, tryin' to fit in is a real pain in the ass. I mean, I'd met you if I wasn't an outcast, right? So, uh… it's all good."

It was amazing how Ryuji could go from dower to optimistic. To be able to take things in stride. Chiyo would give anything to be like that. The thought made Chiyo drown the urge to thump the palm of her hand. The burn had healed, but she could still see where it had been. And she wasn't sure if it was really there, or if Chiyo was the only one seeing it.

"For real, though," Ryuji went on, giving Chiyo a playful nudge, "it's been a shitton of fun! Hangin' out with you guys is so freakin' cool!"

A flush formed on Chiyo's cheek and suddenly she felt a little conceded. He wasn't just talking about her, but the Phantom Thieves as a whole. But… It wasn't often that Chiyo heard someone enjoy her company. Even back in middle school, Chiyo always got the distinction that her classmates only invited her along just to be polite.

"I just hope there's something I can do to help those track guys," Ryuji said through a sigh. "Though it'd prolly mess 'em up if I tried to butt in… Oh, yeah! We still gotta find a new spot for our trainin'. I'll think about it. No slackin' off 'til then, mkay?"

By the time Ryuji finished soliloquizing, both of their soups had gone cold but were also shallow enough that the heat wasn't going to stick around much longer. When they parted ways, Chiyo headed back to Shibuya, a little early for Mishima. So she wandered around until she came across Taiheido Bookstore. Bringing a knuckle to her mouth, Chiyo briefly debated whether or not to go in. There had been a part of her that wanted to pick up another book after she finished Arsène Lupin's tale.

She walked in to find a quant shop, if not a little cramped with its packed shelves and display tables. A store employee greeted Chiyo politely from behind the counter; a twenty-something in a blue shirt and a green work apron. She didn't know what she was looking for, mostly just here to kill time until she was supposed to meet Mishima.

So she scanned the titles around her. Novels translated from English, light novels with their many volumes, full-length novels. She came across two editions of the same Sougo Natsume novel, recognizing the name of the author from her grandmother's library. Back when she was alive. It amazed Chiyo that she could recognize such a detail, even though it had been six years this fall since she died. Hazuki Koga was Eiichi's mother, as the story went, it had been Hazuki who suggested that Chiyo's name be written as 千夜 'thousand nights' instead of 千 代 'thousand generations' as a reference to Chiyo being born in the middle of the night.

Hazuki offered Chiyo a respite from the fights at home before the divorce. She gave Chiyo hard candies, showed her a book on planets and stars, satellite photos of the solar system and nebula, illustrations of constellations. All the while Hazuki would explain some of the stories behind the shapes stars made and how some people used them to navigate.

It wasn't too long after the divorce that something was… wrong with Hazuki. By the time she was going on nine, Hazuki had been moved from her apartment to a nursing home. And one day within that last year, Ryou took her to visit Hazuki, only for Ryou to take Chiyo home shortly after when Hazuki started to ask the 'other grandmother.' And then one fall, not too long after Chiyo turned ten, Eiichi himself brought Chiyo to see Hazuki. She didn't recognize Chiyo, and Chiyo cried, not understanding what was going on with Hazuki, but also understanding enough to know that Hazuki was going to die soon. Sure enough, Hazuki passed away a few days later.

Now that she was older, Chiyo was fairly confident, or at least unsurprised if she ever got confirmation, that Hazuki had been stricken with dementia.

She plucked the Natsume novel off the shelf and hugged it close to her. She went to the light novels, scanning the titles that were likely longer than the book itself. Then she came upon a series of books, each one bearing the illustration of a little girl with blue hair and golden eyes. The first volume had the girl sitting amongst produce and sticks, a writing slab was laid across her lap. Chiyo took it off the shelf and put it with the Natsume novel.

Chiyo cashed out, paying nearly thirty-three hundred yen for the two books, and put them into her handbag with Morgana. She waited near a few food stands for Mishima; she was debating on whether or not to buy something, or even get something from the nearest vending machine when she heard a set of footsteps against concrete. "Kusakabe!" Mishima called half-running up to her. He was dressed in a green and white sleeved shirt, and a pair of blue jeans. Catching up to her, he bent over double briefly to catch his breath, then looked back up at her with a slightly flushed face. "Hope I didn't keep you waiting."

"It wasn't that long," Chiyo assured him.

Mishima's face relaxed in relief. "Oh, um, I got a message from Nakanohara." He reached into the pocket of his jeans and fished out his phone. "He was asking about his request. I got the feeling he's getting anxious."

She bit her lower lip, briefly mulling over what to say. She tried not to grow annoyed with Nakanohara, he didn't know what their methods were after all. And it must have been tormenting to watch Madarame repeatedly get away with his crimes for years, powerless to do anything about it. "He'll know when something's happened," Chiyo said at length. Her lips pursed for a moment in contemplation. "And you can tell him that he doesn't have to worry so much about him anymore. He'll know what I'm talking about."

"Oh, I forgot to mention, but we're meeting up with some Phangirls today," Mishima said, rubbing the back of his neck with a flush on his cheeks.

'Phangirls?' The 'phan' pun was cute at first, but that one felt like it was crossing a line. Wait… Phangirls. Was Mishima trying to…

"They're part of their school's newspaper club," the boy said quickly. "They said they were looking for a subject connected to the Phantom Thieves so…"

"A subject?"

"W-Well, someone who was there when it all happened. We don't need to tell them everything, just… speak as if we were bystanders."

"Uh…" Why was there something about that idea that didn't sit well with her?

"Basically, I met some cool girls on the Phan-Site. And they were saying they wanted to talk to some Shujin students for their school paper, so we thought it'd be fun to do an in-person interview. They think we're just part of the Phandom from Shujin. I made up this whole story about how we stumbled onto the Phan-site one day, so let's stick to that."

"The Phandom?" Chiyo asked with a slight whine in her voice.

"That's what users of the Phan-Site call themselves!" Mishima said, seemingly oblivious to Chiyo's inflections. "It's really caught on as the forum's gotten more popular. Either way, you should be excited about this! Mingling with your loyal supporters is a noble cause indeed!"

"Is that why I'm here?" Chiyo asked quietly. Really, if it was just an interview for a school paper, Mishima could have covered this for himself. Or even send someone else from the Phan-Site. Sure, Chiyo had a story, but how much of it was she willing to share? Her story had already been out of her hands once with the arrest and trial, did she want that to happen again?

"Plus, remember how I said I'd help publicize the Phantom Thieves?" continued Mishima. "This is just the beginning! Though to be honest, I've never actually met someone from online in person… I wonder if I'll be able to do this right…"

Did that mean Mishima couldn't recognize a catfisher if faced with one? Should Chiyo be concerned?

At her side, Mishima hummed. He reached into his pocket for his phone, checking the time after a couple of prods. "They should have been here by now." He started poking at the screen for a moment, then brought the device to his ear. "Um, h-hello…"

Oh, dear.

"It's Mishima," he said meekly, "the guy you met on the Phan-Site… About our meet-up… You're still at home?! And what about your friend…? Oh, um… yeah. Uh-huh… No, we'll be waiting here… Wait, was that a train announcement? I could swear I just heard someone say 'Shibuya' over a loudspeaker. Are you close by…? Huh? Oh, no! I'm not calling you a liar… Okay… Yeah… Maybe next time…"

He ended the call; putting his phone away, his actions were slow and stiff. His face once again flushed. "So, uh… both of them apparently got sick," he forced himself to say. As though Chiyo wasn't able to hear his half of the conversation. "They're gonna stay home."

Chiyo's lips pursed once again. Might as well just play along. "Too bad," she murmured.

"It seemed like they really were into the idea of the forum," Mishima said to himself. He turned his gaze to Chiyo, plastering on a forced grin. "Oh well, my bad! I was so busy with all the new forum posts, I didn't have time to really vet them too much. But all this aside, I have some really good info ready for you guys! I won't let you down. I'll prove just how useful I can be to the Phantom Thieves!"

There was something about this new sense of determination that put Chiyo at ease. Something about the look in Mishima's eye made her uneasy, though she couldn't place why. Was this was people called a 'red flag?' But that notion was ridiculous. This was Mishima, one of the most non-threatening guys she knew.

Not that the bar was set very high.

The Councillor Rank 4
The Lovers Rank 3
The Death Rank 3
The Chariot Rank 4
The Moon Rank 3

Author's Note: It's going to be chapters like this that make me regret giving chapters titles…

Chiyo's grandma get's her name from the mother of the main character in Full Moon o Sagashite, another manga by Arina Tanemura. It was actually my first Tanemura manga.

Two chapters this week. Just making up for next week, some irl stuff might be getting in the way. It's nothing major, just something keeping me busy.